


Where Did I Go?

by luckygirl



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-08-17 10:37:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8140870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckygirl/pseuds/luckygirl
Summary: Wonwoo doesn't know what's going on with his life ninety percent of the time. But he isn't too worried about that. He's more worried about his growing fascination with Kim Mingyu, and trying to figure out how to stop his friends from teasing him about it.





	1. maybe this fate was overdue.

**Author's Note:**

> not to sound like the character i'm trying to write throughout this fic (he's actually loosely based around some of my experiences because i find that kind of thing obviously easier to write), but i really don't know what i'm doing or where i'm going to go with this right now. 
> 
> i haven't properly written a fic in maybe... 4 years? i probably haven't properly written anything creatively within those 4 years either. but this is my new form of procrastination and i'm quite enjoying it at the moment. 
> 
> i hope you enjoy it too.
> 
> !!!! also, i listened to the song where did i go? by jorja smith (where i got the title, and chapter titles from) and i think it goes well if you wanna try and listen to it and read along at the same time.

Wonwoo had never really been one for smoking.

Well, to be fair, he’d never been one for a lot of those ‘edgy’ habits (y’know the ones kids pick up when they’re trying to prove they aren’t kids anymore). But somehow he’d started and somehow he’d continued and, somehow he was unable to stop.

And that’s how he found himself outside, barely under cover from the pouring rain, grimacing and a dull lit cigarette in hand - which he’d like to think is keeping him somewhat sufficiently warm (unlike his tattered bed shirt). 

He cursed whoever built his shelter-less apartment block for not thinking ahead to this very moment and wished he’d decided on the more sensible option of putting on real clothes. But living away from his parents for the past two years had taught Wonwoo that he was nowhere near sensible, and he probably deserved to be standing out in the cold right now for it.

He tapped what was left of his cigarette out on the brick wall behind him, diligently putting the butt in the rubbish as he made his way back indoors. “And everyone tries to tell me I’m a bad person,” he mumbled to himself, letting out a rough kind-of-snort-chuckle at his own mocking words.

The elevator buzzed, and Wonwoo stepped in not bothering to notice the tinged smell of fast food and alcohol that seemed to stick to it on the weekends. It didn’t take long for it to buzz again, signalling the sixth floor and with it the familiar settings of a damp and dimly lit hallway. Wonwoo personally didn’t mind the shitty state of his apartment building, no matter how much any of his friends complained – it was cheap and suited his needs well enough.

And he wouldn’t admit it aloud, but the run down feel really helped add to his aloof and uncaring demeanour, which ironically, he tried hard to upkeep.

He pushed in the familiar set of numbers and waited for the click of the lock before being able to reconcile into his ‘home’. Although it’d been two years, it still felt kind of weird for him to call this place ‘home’. But it didn’t feel right for him to call his parents house ‘home’ either at this point.

Wonwoo kind of felt like he was just drifting ninety percent of the time, but he was used to it. Okay with it even. Used to waiting around for something to happen to him. He wasn’t much of the go-out-there-and-get-it-yourself type. He was a lot more of the maybe-it’ll-come-to-me-if-I-wait-long-enough type and a dash of, things-that-are-meant-to-be-are-meant-to-be.

Or as his friends liked to refer to him jokingly as, lazy and boring.

“What a wreck mate, did you somehow get attacked by a bear in between the elevator and street?” Wonwoo could practically hear the smirk in his roommate’s voice without having to look at him. Soonyoung was leant against the kitchen doorframe, a bowl of lucky charms in one hand and a piece of pizza in the other. His hair a mess but at least he’d bothered to try and get dressed.

If Wonwoo had to describe his roommate in two words, it’d have to be reckless and easily excitable – not the best mixture.

"Good morning to you too loser.” Wonwoo shuffled towards the fridge his hunger awakening at the sight of pizza. 

“So you made it home in one piece?” Wonwoo continued. “I didn't think Jihoon was gonna let you leave his side alive last night.”

“Yes to the still in one piece, no to the Jihoon leaving my side as he’s still asleep in my room.” Soonyoung wiggled his eyebrows proudly at Wonwoo, in which he signalled a throwing up motion. “I don’t want to hear about it.”

“I’m quite glad you didn’t hear any of it,” Soonyoung continued much to Wonwoo’s dismay. “I thank God every day for giving me a roommate that could sleep through the apocalypse.”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes and bit into the slice of pizza he’d found in the fridge, using it as an excuse to not reply.

“Mingyu turned up after you left Seungcheol's Birthday.” 

Wonwoo tried and failed to not choke on the bite he’d just taken after hearing Soonyoung’s words.

“He asked about you.” Wonwoo hums in response, collecting himself from the near death by pizza experience.

“That’s nice of him. He just loves to be the nice guy doesn’t he?” Wonwoo finally replies, not daring to look up from his pizza, because he doesn’t have to see to know Soonyoung was grinning from ear to ear at his small struggle.

“Probably because he is a nice guy.” Jihoon grumbles next to Soonyoung, who’s still in the doorway and gets the fright of his life from his boyfriend’s sudden appearance.

“You’re a real asshole sometimes y’know Wonwoo?” Jihoon sleepily drones. “When are you gonna give Mingyu a break?” Wonwoo lets out a small grin at the fact that Jihoon, the biggest asshole of all assholes, had just promoted him to asshole status. “Hmm, let me think about it for the next decade, and then I might give him a chance.”

Soonyoung snorts at Wonwoo’s relentless hate train. But of course, he knew Wonwoo better than anyone else, therefore Soonyoung also knew he in fact was anything but ‘in hate’ with Mingyu. Actually Wonwoo had a small feeling that, despite his harsh front, basically everyone knew he was a little fascinated by that damn boy.

But it was still kind of fun for him to watch Mingyu struggle a little in front of him, out of nervousness about what he might think, when the boy excelled so easily at everything else he attempted in life.

“You’re a fucking idiot Jeon Wonwoo but pass me some pizza.” Wonwoo happily obliges because, being cursed out by Jihoon twice in the space of a minute? _Priceless._

Soonyoung and Jihoon had been ‘officially’ dating for six months now, and Wonwoo didn’t really mind having another person around their apartment. Especially when that person could calm Soonyoung out of one of his states _and_ be just as cynical as him from time to time.

Wonwoo can’t really recall exactly how the two met, but assumes it was through Seokmin, Soonyoung’s childhood best friend and Jihoon’s current roommate.

He’s happy for them both (even if he’s not the most pro-relationship person himself), he likes seeing Soonyoung happy – like really happy not that fake dramatic show he puts on for everyone else’s sake. And even though the two seem like they would never work out together Wonwoo knows they fit each other perfectly, even if it’s more in a Tom and Jerry kind-of-way.

“Jesus you smell awful, when are you gonna give up the cigarettes?” Jihoon complains as Wonwoo moves to their side of the kitchen to pass a piece of pizza.

Wonwoo could only wish to honestly tell him that he was giving up. But that didn’t really look realistic at the moment. Instead he shrugs, moving further past them and into their small living room, finding his was to the ragged window seat.

“I know it’s awful.” Wonwoo snuggles down into his usual spot, and stares out into the street watching the rain bombard the outside world. “But at least I don’t do it indoors.”

“I really do love when you act like an optimist.” Soonyoung snorts. “But thanks for that, I guess.” Wonwoo looks back up from the window to send a teasing smirk at them but the two are already stumbling back down the dimly lit hall, hand in hand, towards Soonyoung’s room.

His eyes linger, staring into the dark hallway long after the two other boys have escaped his sight – now closed off behind the door showing the familiar red sign that neatly reads “Soon’s Room”, which Soonyoung had since messily scribbled next to it “plus Hoon!”

It makes a small part of Wonwoo kind of want to fall in love.

But it kind of makes him feel sick too.

He’d never been one to put love and romantic relationships first in his life. It was more like – first was always him, second were his friends, third was that one plant he got when he first moved out and treats like his own kid, fourth was sadly his studies, fifth would probably be his multiple addictions and bad habits, and then maybe sixth he could shove in his very rare fantasies about dating and love and those sorts of things.

Wonwoo liked being alone. He’s the only one out of his friends who could say this and they’d believe him entirely. Wonwoo was more into the relationships he read in his books, rather than the relationships he himself could possibly get involved in.

 _Aromantic_. He’d read about it online a few times… because you tend to do some research about the things that people start to point out as “abnormal” about you – even if you’ve never had a problem with it. The word refers to someone who is unable to feel romantic attraction, and although Wonwoo can see himself in it a little, he’s still not quite sure.

He finds it a struggle in itself to try and define what “romantic attraction” even means to him. He’d had what he thought were crushes, heck he might be crushing on Mingyu right now – but when it really comes down to it, he never genuinely wanted to engage in romantic acts with any of them.

_Maybe he just hadn’t found the right person yet?_

_Maybe he had too many other, more important, obstacles in his life right now to be focused on someone else like that?_

_Maybe everyone else is just overreacting? He doesn’t need to look into this kind of thing at all just to make them feel better._

Wonwoo liked to stick to the third option as much as he possibly could, avoidance being a personal speciality of his.

 

* * *

 

“JEON WONWOO!” 

The cry echoed throughout the house Wonwoo had just barely entered and he winced. You’d think being friends with a lot of these kids for nearly two years, they’d have realised that him and unneeded noise didn’t really get along. Alas, life wasn’t that easy for him.

“WONWOO!” The same voice shouts again. “YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT!”

Wonwoo really hopes that this is all a dream, and the screeches end and instead of him being forced to be at this rowdy birthday party, he’ll wake up peacefully and well rested in his own bed. Unfortunately, he isn’t in a dream and realises this as the source of the noise bolts down the hall, Hansol nearly knocking a lamp from its spot out of blind excitement.

They hug and Hansol is instantly back to jumping up and down bursting at the seams to tell him whatever had gotten him so riled up. Wonwoo raises an eyebrow in anticipation, seriously getting sick of waiting for this boy to form some words.

“So,” Hansol starts now in a more hushed and secretive tone. He motions for Wonwoo to move closer and Wonwoo really doesn’t know what the fuck Hansol could want to say that would need him to do so. “I kind of made out with Minghao the other day.”

_Holy shit._

“I know!” Hansol’s face starts to heats up as he rushes to explain, even though Wonwoo didn’t even realise he’d said that aloud. “It kind of just happened! We were down at the park sitting on the grass at 2 in the goddamn morning, and it just…” Hansol couldn’t seem to find the words to express what was going on in his head. And Wonwoo couldn’t help but let a small smile form on his face - this kid was over the moon right now. “I’ve talked about this stupid crush that was never going to go anywhere to you for so long, like I really didn’t think anything was gonna happen between us! You of all people know that the most…”

“Yeah I know man. I’m happy for you! Have you guys talked about it since?” Wonwoo asks.

“Kind of, we haven’t been able to see each other a lot since it happened because he’s been stacked up with assignments and so have I, but he said it wasn’t a mistake or anything. Like he didn’t hate it, that’s good right?” Hansol’s voice shakes a little in question as he finishes and Wonwoo drapes an arm around his shoulder to comfort him.

“Sounds good to me,” he nods down at the younger boy. “Just make sure to talk it all through, know where you’re standing, you guys are already good friends as is.”

Hansol lets out a deep breath, looking a little more assured and quickly switches back into overexcited mode as he drags Wonwoo out of the hall and into the living area, where everyone else is gathered. Wonwoo looks over the room, taking in the sight in front of him – preparing himself for having to socialise with his drunk and therefore, very loud and boisterous friends.

Junhui, his best friend, is laid across the couch – his head in Minghao’s lap as they both smile and chatter away, red cup in hand.

Seungcheol and Seokmin were in the midst of an intense game of beer pong (as expected, Seungcheol is winning).

Soonyoung, Jihoon, Jisoo, and Jeonghan are gathered around the table as well. And if he knows Jeonghan and Jihoon at all, the two are most likely more interested in placing bets about who’s going to come out on top, rather than cheering the two boys on.

There were a few other people, girls and guys, whom Wonwoo couldn’t recognize from a glance – but he does see that three of their close friends, Seungkwan, Chan, and Mingyu, are yet to arrive.

“Where are the others?” He finds himself asking Hansol before he can even think about the consequences of the question.

"You mean Mingyu?” Wonwoo winces at how easy of a target he made himself but still manages to give Hansol his best glare (at which the younger boy easily laughs off).

"Him, Chan and Seungkwan aren’t gonna be here till later. Kwan said something about going to get Seungcheol a last minute gift from the three of them?” Hansol shrugs. “God knows what it is at this time of night but, kind of slack if you ask me.”

Wonwoo just nods in response, not wanting to get into what was probably an escape for Hansol to complain about having to live through Seungkwan’s antics – and everything noteworthy he’d done within the previous time they’d seen each other.

Instead, Wonwoo makes his way to the safest possible place in the room – on the floor next to the couch Jun and Minghao were lounging on (forcing Hansol to scurry off to watch beer pong, not wanting to face his crush just yet).

“Hello, hello did you want something to drink, eat and, or smoke?” Jun draws the last part out, eyeing Wonwoo with his typical mischievous grin. Minghao simply grins wordlessly at Wonwoo waiting for his response, probably way too high to bother with words right now.

“I’ll wait until someone else is lighting up. How have you been?” Wonwoo asks, genuinely curious as he hasn’t been able to see either of them in a few weeks – when exam season hits, it hits him hard.

“As good as you can get at this time of year.” Jun visibly winces. “I think Psych 207 went pretty okay for me, what about you?”

“Yeah, decent.” Wonwoo doesn’t actually want to talk about exams right now, anything but if he’s being honest. “On second thought, could I have your drink?” Junhui passes him over his own cup, and Wonwoo easily gulps it down in one swig. Jun offers him another but he brushes it off.

Wonwoo thinks to himself, ones enough for him to loosen up a little. He wasn’t planning on getting drunk tonight. He just wanted to be there to say happy birthday to Seungcheol and hopefully leave early enough to miss the latecomers. That’s when he realises he hasn’t even gone and greeted the birthday boy and without a second thought, his feet are taking him on his way to the more crowded (and therefore, rowdy) part of the room.

“Hey!” Soonyoung steps in front of his birthday greeting path. “Don’t look so sad that your lover boy isn’t here yet.”

“Shut up Soon, go suck your boyfriend off.” Wonwoo replies as he tries to push his way past his roommate. Soonyoung chuckles at Wonwoo’s very visible agitation and steps to the side. “Oh I will don’t worry about him or his junk.”

Wonwoo really hates that kid sometimes. But he still watches as Soonyoung retreats back to his boyfriend, and Jihoon’s grip tightens back around him.

“Happy Birthday old guy.” Wonwoo swings an arm around Seungcheol once his turn on beer pong had passed.

“Thanks man, glad you could make it!” Seungcheol squeezes his arm in gratitude with a bright smile, and Wonwoo is overwhelmed for a second by how genuinely happy he seems.

Wonwoo had first met Seungcheol when they were fresh out of high school and had been thrown into the new world of college – they attended fresher party after fresher party together. Once classes started though, Wonwoo could see how much of an anxious person Seungcheol actually was, as much as he tried to hide it from everyone else. Wonwoo slowly realized that the kid put way too much weight on his own shoulders and the responsibility of it all made the first year of college hell for him.

Wonwoo would look after him on the nights when it would all get too much, and he would get far too drunk and therefore, far too emotional. It was tough for Wonwoo seeing his friend cry all of his frustrations out and truly believe that his life was going no where.

“A waste of space.” Seungcheol mumbled on one of these nights. 

“You’re far from that.” Wonwoo would reply, trying his best to comfort him as they both lay on the bathroom floor in his house. “College isn’t everything you know, and it’s not like you’re doing terrible.” Seungcheol would reach over and grip onto Wonwoo’s hand mid-sob, touched by the boy who-didn’t-really-like-to-open-up-and-talk-emotion’s words.

“You’re doing really well Seungcheol, you just put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect.” 

Wonwoo would run his thumb softly over Seungcheol’s hand in an attempt of reassurance.

“Nobody’s perfect.” 

They would fall into a comfortable silence. Lying there together on the freezing cold tiles. And that’s when Seungcheol made the decision to drop out.

Wonwoo’s glad he did. After all those nights taking care of him, he’d been longing to find the right words to urge him to do so – if Seungcheol was that miserable being there, then the only way to solve it was to try his hand at something else. And so he did, getting himself a position at a local finance company (which paid pretty damn good) after acing the interview. But Seungcheol had always been amazing with people, and gaining their trust. 

That’s how Wonwoo knew that he never really had to worry about Seungcheol too much, when he had everyone else to keep him upright and happy. He was the life of the party, the constant center of attention, he was the soul of the their friend group. Wonwoo honestly couldn’t imagine being there with his friends without him. _Ever._

“Yeah…” Wonwoo would simply reply, with an attempt at a smile for his friend, before Seungcheol was dragged back to take a shot at Seokmin’s cups.

Suddenly, Wonwoo wasn’t feeling like being there anymore. Not that he felt like ever being there in the first place. But the chance to see his friends again had happened and passed, and as more people filled the small space, he begun to feel more and more closed in.

He ran a hand through his hair and made an attempt to focus on breathing easy. He could usually get through these types of gatherings with the help of alcohol or something a little more strong to distract him, but he didn't really want to get fucked off his face tonight – he had an assignment due in a few days that he needed to work on tomorrow.

He decided home was probably the best place to be and slipped out Seungcheol’s back door onto the back porch. Lighting a cigarette on the way out to keep him company. He could still hear the sounds of Seokmin and Soonyoung bursting with laughter as he made his way out into the night. It was comforting.

Wonwoo had never been one of the ones included in the ‘central’ part of their friend group. He’d never wanted nor needed the attention. He enjoyed being with his friends but he liked his alone time too, _a lot_. And it always took him a bit of encouragement after exams to come back out of his shell and start hanging out with everyone regularly again.

Y’know, because once you get into a routine and you try to break out if it, it just feels weird for a while. That’s how Wonwoo felt when he hadn’t interacted with everyone in a long time.

And the panic attacks didn’t help.

Sometimes Wonwoo felt like the world came together against him when he was born and decided to just fuck with his brain as much as it could. 

But he hated thinking too much about what was wrong with him. Jesus, he thought, it would probably lead him into a panic attack right there and then walking down the dark street alone at 1am.

When he finally gets to his apartment, the familiar buzz of the elevators fill his ears and his comfort levels begin to rise. He smiles to himself.

“Finally.” Its all Wonwoo can say before stripping of his pants and crawling into his favourite place in the entire world.

His bed welcomed him with open arms. And sleep didn’t come too far after.


	2. baby it's late and i'm confused.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Wonwoo, Wonwoo-ing. Junhui creeps his way into the story line and is basically Wonwoo's fairy godmother.

Assignments were the near death of every college student.

Multiple assignments due on the same day? With the poor organisation skills of the majority, they most likely already had one foot in the grave.

And typically, if one of those multiple assignments was also group work, said students would probably be out the door ready to willingly go lie in their own casket of choice, before they even started.

But luckily for Wonwoo, he had Junhui to work with, and it made the sad forced process of working with his peers so much easier.

Sadly, they also tended to procrastinate together a lot.

“If Darwin knows so much about Comparative Psychology, can’t we get him in here to write this report for us?” Junhui mused, more to himself than Wonwoo, who had given up being productive 20 minutes earlier.

“Apart from the fact that’s he been dead for a good hundred years, he probably wouldn’t want to help two imbeciles like us in his spare time.” Wonwoo picked at his nails (a bad habit he’d had since he was 12) and was yet to figure out if it was out of anxiety from all the work he had to do, or boredom from trying to avoid it.

“Imbeciles? My first in class in Psychology 101 last year seems to disagree.” Junhui replied as he tried to swat Wonwoo’s hands away from each other – he hated the sound nails made when they made contact with anything else.

“So I guess that just makes you the lone imbecile.”

Besides Soonyoung, Wonwoo was undeniably closest to Junhui. They understood each other in a silent way – they never actually had to use their words to know what the other was thinking. Maybe it had something to do with Junhui majoring in Wonwoo’s chosen minor, Psychology. But then again, Wonwoo wasn’t that great at what they did (compared to Jun at least), so probably not.

Wonwoo first saw him in their introductory classes. While he wasn’t that interested in making friends, Junhui had captivated him. There was something about the way that he held himself that would draw anyone in. Even if he wasn’t trying or meant to be looking at him, Wonwoo would suddenly find his eyes on Junhui instead of the lecturer standing up front, or even one of the other students swarming the seating in the lecture hall.

Eventually Junhui had noticed Wonwoo’s far too lingering stares and introduced himself (because there was no way in hell Wonwoo would ever be the one to approach him, and somehow even then, Jun knew that fact).

They would sit together in class, and from there, Wonwoo would visit the café Junhui worked at as a barista. Sometimes to study, sometimes to get an energy boost, and sometimes just to talk.

If Wonwoo had to be real, Jun was a great listener. He could be in the middle of an order of four soy caramel lattes, and Wonwoo could continue to ramble on and on – still feeling like Jun was attentively taking everything in and thinking it through, and managing to nail the coffee order.

“I’m sure we’ve done enough.” Wonwoo said and closed his laptop. He hadn’t actually been using it to study, but to search online for the new lamp he needed in his room. “We haven’t even had dinner yet.”

“We wrote two lines. Our names. At the top of the report.” Jun turned his laptop and pointed at the essentially blank document. “But I’d be down for some cheese fries right now.”

The two of them quickly packed their things up, in way too much of a rush to get out of the library, and making a ruckus in the otherwise silence. The librarian looked up from his spot at the desk and Wonwoo thought he could see him slightly shake his head at them. Or maybe he was just projecting his own disappointed thoughts onto the guy. The assignment wasn’t due for another week he tried to remind himself. It’s chill. They had all the time in the world to do the rest of it (or y’know, start it).

“So, how’s the Mingyu situation going? Still letting him hopelessly follow you around like a puppy dog?”

“It’s no where near a situation and he’s far too big to be likened to a puppy.” Wonwoo shrugged. He was kind of completely over his friends randomly trying to get a rise out of him by bringing up their other friend. “I’d say he’s more of like… a mosquito. He just won’t stop buzzing around.”

“Aren’t mosquito’s pretty good at sucking too?”

Wonwoo didn’t get a chance to smack Junhui around the head because he was already sprinting ahead of him and further down into the darkened streets of the city. Wonwoo wasn’t too keen on running, even to hunt down his annoying ass best friend, so he just let him go. His laughs still echoing down the street when he turned the corner. Even through his playful agitation, Wonwoo couldn’t help but find himself smile. 

And he didn’t know whether it was because of their antics or the thought of Mingyu currently spilling over into his fantasies. 

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo had set up camp in the library to finish one of his other numerous reports, after the studying with Junhui went terribly wrong yesterday - he really needed to pick up the slack. But now he couldn’t help but think it might go terribly wrong again today, because of the voices he could so obviously hear whisper shouting at each other from the nearest aisle of books.

“You really think he even wants to see me right now? I really don’t know about this Minghao?”

“Seriously Mingyu, I’m not fucking reassuring you again, twenty times is enough!”

“But it’s going to be a disaster? Please don’t make me!”

”Oh my god. Grow some balls and go!”

He was about to tell the two to shut up but stopped when suddenly Mingyu was right there, standing in front of his desk, looking like a lost puppy with his tail between his legs.

“Hey.” Mingyu said.

Wonwoo nodded in response, his eyes telling the younger boy to get whatever he needed to get out over and done with. He didn’t really have time to be played around with these due dates looming over him.

“So, I heard you needed help with your math class, and I know I’m a year below but I’m taking a second year math class for my major because I already did the other stuff in high school… So like… If you need help, yeah.”

“Oh…” Wonwoo had totally forgotten about the fact that he needed to get help and focus more on his math class (avoidance wasn’t his specialty for nothing). Also that he’d even told anyone about it. To be honest he was totally stunned by Mingyu’s offer and didn’t really know how exactly to respond. On one hand, if he said yes, he’d be spending more time with him and getting better grades. But on the other hand, spending more time with Mingyu meant possibly falling deeper into whatever these feelings were. He wasn’t prepared for that yet.

“I’m pretty busy at the moment.” Was all Wonwoo could manage to respond.

The mix of disappointment and regret on Mingyu’s face made him feel worse than it should have and he found himself rush to explain. “I mean I just have so many assignments from my other classes to focus on right now and I just don’t have any time to even think about math.”

“Oh no it’s okay! I totally understand!” Wonwoo couldn’t help but notice the fake smile Mingyu managed to switch on.

He felt bad about it. Really bad. He was used to playing around with Mingyu – but not when the kid was being genuinely nice to him and trying to help. He probably thought Wonwoo was a terrible person. What did he mean probably? He totally thought Wonwoo was a bad person. _Fuck._

“Thank you though seriously… I’ll definitely text you or whatever if I need to ask for help. I mean if that’s okay?” Wonwoo cursed himself for sounding like a blundering fool but Mingyu didn’t seem to notice or care.

“Yeah cool!” Mingyu nodded and slightly waved his hand as he made his way back to the book aisle Minghao had his head not so subtly poked out of. Wonwoo could hear them whisper to each other again but didn’t bother to really listen to what they were saying.

He didn’t need to eavesdrop to know he was an absolute dick.

 

* * *

 

“I’m fucking glad that’s over.” Junhui said as he slung an arm around Wonwoo’s shoulder. They’d just handed in their last assignment and were finally free (for another day or two at least before they realised they still had the rest of the semester to worry about).

“What should we do to celebrate?”

“Sleep.” Wonwoo hadn’t had a proper nights sleep in a week. It was really taking its toll on his emotionally stability and sanity.

“You can do that tonight. Let’s do something fun!” Jun insisted. “What about a little get together but in the day time? Then your ass can get black out drunk, and be well rested!”

“You know how Seokmin gets when he day drinks.” Flashbacks of last summer, when they’d gone on a camping trip and started drinking as soon as they’d set themselves up at 11am, came back to Wonwoo.

Seokmin had been fine until he was five beers in and decided that jumping into the lake in front of them would be the most suitable thing to do in that moment. Let’s just say he _might_ have, in his drunken state, forgotten how to swim. And let’s just that it _might_ have taken five of them (also in various levels of drunken states) to get him out without themselves drowning. Jihoon sure found it hilarious. But Wonwoo really didn’t want Seokmin trying some dumb near death shit again like he always seemed to when they would day drink.

“You’re right. He always seems to think that because it’s bright out, he’s invincible.” Junhui replied. “He blows my mind.”

“He’d probably blow your dick if you asked too.”

“Jesus.” Junhui hit Wonwoo across his arm as they continued to walk out onto the street. “If he was to ever come anywhere near my dick, please tell me you would at least do the pleasure of killing me afterwards.” 

“Not your type?” Wonwoo joked back.

Junhui rolled his eyes, not about to try and humour Wonwoo, and began to drag him off the sidewalk and towards the open doors of the café he worked at. They were instantly hit with the smell of roasted beans and fresh pastry. The aroma was so familiar to Wonwoo now that it seemed to relax him immediately and he felt more at home here sometimes, than his real home.

“Just the person I was looking for!” Junhui announced as he leaned across the counter towards whoever was on shift.

Wonwoo moved forward, so he could make out who it was, and whether he needed to say hi and act like he cared or not. But the boy’s face in front of Jun was all too familiar to him and it made him swallow, hard. He was stuck in place, his previously relaxed state now completely broken. 

“Jun!” Mingyu happily replied, almost bouncing on the spot. “Why are you in here on your day off?”

“We’re free from hell for the next couple days, so we decided celebration is in order.” Jun smiled up at him as he spoke. “And since Wonwoo here doesn’t think alcohol is a good idea, coffee should work as a replacement until I change his mind.”

Wonwoo could feel Mingyu’s eyes pierce into the top of his head but continued to inspect the pastries in the cabinet, trying to feign a-far-too-intent interest in the beetroot quiche he’d seen every single time he’d been in there. 

“Oh okay, sounds cool, two long blacks?” Wonwoo could hear the cash register open and then slam shut before Jun begun to drag him by the arm again.

“Find anything new in the cabinet?” Jun teased as they found a seat in the corner of the café away from everyone else.

“You’re hilarious. You could have at least warned me he was working today.”

“What’s life without a few surprises?” Junhui leaned back into his chair and rested a hand under his chin. “You can’t always be living so safely Wonwoo.”

“I can try.” Wonwoo gruffly replied.

The downside of having Junhui as a best friend seemed to lie in that, no matter what Wonwoo would say to him, he thought he knew better.

It’s probably how the whole Mingyu thing had elevated so much. Because Junhui thought Wonwoo liked Mingyu more than he actually did.

Therefore, he’d become extra persistent in his efforts to get them as close to each other as possible at all times – and lately, he’d been succeeding. Wonwoo had a fair idea that Junhui was the one, who tipped Mingyu off on his math struggles, and that this was just the beginning of his master plan to get them ‘together’.

Wonwoo didn't even want to know what Junhui was going to try and put him through next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i'm sorry that it's been ten years since i posted the first chapter but. life y'know.

**Author's Note:**

> yeah so that happened! i truly hope you enjoyed it... i'm happy for any feedback or anything as i'm really just getting back into this kind of thing again after a long time. 
> 
> see you soon, hopefully.


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